Rarely does the inside story of how an exhibition came about so faithfully define its spirit as in the case of the free exhibition of antique radios that can be visited in Torreón de Lozoya (Plaza de San Martín, 5), an hour from Madrid. Much of the secret lies in the title itself: Talking Boxes: Memories of Radio in the 20th Century. De Andrés-Martín Collection.
These surnames speak of specificity; of the fact that the devices belong to someone who has collected, cared for, and preserved them, and thanks to whose “generosity” and “complicity” it has been possible to bring this exhibition to fruition for the enjoyment of all who come to visit it, according to the Torreón de Lozoya Foundation.
We said that this detail faithfully reflects the spirit of the exhibition, as it reviews and pays tribute to radio devices, especially from an emotional point of view, although this does not mean that historical and technical rigor are neglected, as they are also part of the exhibition’s discourse.
In the words of Pedro de Andrés, co-owner of the collection and curator of the exhibition: “My love of collecting stems from nostalgia. I have memories of the radios we had at home: the feeling I had as a child of that big, illuminated radio that played music and words. It was magic!”
Hundreds of radios, hundreds of uses
Image courtesy of: Torreón de Lozoya Foundation
The exhibition consists of a careful selection of 150 models of radios and transistor radios from the De Andrés-Martín Collection, dating from the early 1920s to the 1970s and coming from a wide variety of sources: the Netherlands, France, the United States, Germany, Latvia, Sweden, Japan, Italy…
Their uses also varied greatly over time. For example, in hotels and hospitals there were models that operated on coins or tokens and made the stay more bearable or entertaining for guests and patients. During World War II they were used for propaganda purposes, and in the 1950s school radios appeared to spread literacy, especially in rural areas.
The exhibition is particularly interesting for understanding the role and evolution of devices that many generations have only known as another item in their grandparents’ living room, in period dramas or, more recently, during the historic blackout that took place on April 28, 2025, when they were the only means of obtaining information.
Dates and times of the vintage radio exhibition
Image courtesy of: Torreón de Lozoya Foundation
The exhibition will open on February 13, coinciding with World Radio Day, and will be open until April 12 during the following hours:
- Tuesday to Friday: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- Saturdays, Holy Thursday, and Good Friday: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- Sundays: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
- Closed on Mondays.